A Devotional Corner

Many who do not have a full understanding of Two Ways to Live will often be deceived by its name. In this blog, I have no intentions of challenging any part of this evangelistic tool, but I am really only intending to point out how people often get the wrong message.

When people are asked The question, that do they:
(a) Want to continue leading their own life; or
(b) Choose to submit their lives to live in Christ
People would automatically see themselves being placed at Y-intersection, to choose their path for their future. This is where people hesitate and become scared.

In the process of consideration, one would most likely think, if I choose (a), I just continue on with my life. They often think, nothing is wrong with what I have currently, and most importantly, I know what my "way of living" is like.

Conversely, if we choose the latter, to take the new way of life, people begin to ask self-centred questions like: "How different will life be? Would it improve my situation? Or even, what will God do for me? Will He finish my homework? Will He pay off my mortgage?" This really suggests that they really dont appreciate the fact that God is our creator despite that they say they understand that God is our ruler. They fail to see in perspective what God, with His ultimate authority and more importantly His love, has done for us, in sending Jesus Christ to die in our place. It is not what God will do for us that is at issue, it is what God has done for us!

Then there are others who would ask questions like: "So what do I have to do or how would I have to change my way of life to live in Christ?"

The way of life, or the things in future that you have to do is where people misunderstand the whole idea of Two ways to live. Rather than seeing the importance of each element in 2wtl, many misunderstand it to be a little "story" to put them into perspective, so they could start to improve their lives and be good people. They believe the things that they have to do in order to live "correctly" include: having a commitment to go to church, pray, read the bible, charity etc.

They totally misunderstand the point that no matter what "good" things you do, it will not save them. It must be drawn to one's attention that when we always say good and bad qualities in this context, we seem to magically assume we know this standard of good and bad. However, it is God's standard of good and bad that we are concerned with here. So, are we really doing ourselves anywhere near justice if we even try and believe we can work out what God's standard is? Don't think so.

Christianity is not a focus on do, but it is a focus on done: What Christ has done on the cross for you. It is really your faith in believing in what Christ has done for you that grants you your new way of life, its not a way that you could walk yourself. We are told in that "For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works [religious efforts and accomplishments], lest anyone should boast" (Ephesians 2:8-9)

For all you non-Christians out there that see this, I thank God for giving you this opportunity. Living a new life doesn't require you to do, but to believe in what has been done for you. So if there is no physical committment required, and all that it is required from you is to have faith in believing that Christ has died in our place for our sins, what have you to lose but to try out the new way of life? Besides, its Free and that's the only way to live in the truth. That's the only way to live in reality.

The Road Not Taken - Robert Frost


TWO roads diverged in a yellow wood,
And sorry I could not travel both
And be one traveler, long I stood
And looked down one as far as I could
To where it bent in the undergrowth;

Then took the other, as just as fair,
And having perhaps the better claim,
Because it was grassy and wanted wear;
Though as for that the passing there
Had worn them really about the same,

And both that morning equally lay
In leaves no step had trodden black.
Oh, I kept the first for another day!
Yet knowing how way leads on to way,
I doubted if I should ever come back.

I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.

Posted by Ivan on Friday, October 08, 2004 at 8:23 pm | Permalink